Mine, Ours and Yours? Unintended Framing Effects in Dictator Games

18 Pages Posted: 18 Jul 2018

See all articles by Andreas Bergh

Andreas Bergh

Lund University - Department of Economics; Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN)

Philipp C. Wichardt

University of Rostock - Department of Economics

Date Written: May 18, 2018

Abstract

This paper reports results from a classroom dictator game comparing the effects of three different sets of standard instructions. The results show that seemingly small differences in instructions induce fundamentally different perceptions regarding entitlement. Behavior is affected accordingly, i.e. instructions inducing subjects to perceive the task as distributive rather than a task of generosity lead to higher allocations to receivers (average 52% vs. 35%). A theoretical explanation integrating monetary as well as social incentives and emphasizing potential effects of uncertainty about the latter is discussed (cf. Bergh and Wichardt, 2018).

Keywords: dictator games, framing effects, property rights, social preferences

JEL Classification: C700, C910, D630

Suggested Citation

Bergh, Andreas and Bergh, Andreas and Wichardt, Philipp C., Mine, Ours and Yours? Unintended Framing Effects in Dictator Games (May 18, 2018). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 7049, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3208589 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3208589

Andreas Bergh

Lund University - Department of Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 7082
S-220 07
Lund
Sweden

HOME PAGE: http://www.nek.lu.se/

Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) ( email )

Box 55665
Grevgatan 34 2nd floor
Stockholm, SE-102 15
Sweden
0707790734 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.ifn.se/web/AndreasB

Philipp C. Wichardt (Contact Author)

University of Rostock - Department of Economics ( email )

Ulmenstr. 69
Rostock, 18057
Germany

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